Topping-machine.



W. B. SMITH.

TOPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1914.

1,1 16,637. Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

14 Z 10 wilbnwm: g m anventoz THE NORRIS PETERS C0,, PNOTD-LITHOH WASHINGTON. D, C

i so

UNITED STATES PATENT oFrroE.

WILLIAM E. SMITH, Ci]? MILZLTOW'N, NEW JERSEY, AfaiSIGllGR TO I'EKILBQUILNZNIANU FACTURINGCORPORATION, 0.13 NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW" JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0E NEW' JERSEY.

TOPPING-MACHINE.

specification of Letters Patent.

atentedl'tov. 10, 19141.

Application filed J one 30, 1914. 3eria1No. M51125.

To all whom may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milltown, in, the county of Middlescx and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Topping-Machines; and it do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same.

My invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described, reference being bad to the accoinpanying drawings which Show several embodiments of my inventhin] which I have selected for the purpose of illustrating the same, and my said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims. 3 1

My invention relates to topping machines or machines for transferring ribbedtops of stockings, and the embodiments of my invention which I have selected for the purdo not limit the use of my invention. to this particular machine.

In knittmg seamless half-hose, the tops of the stockin s are knitted on a rib machine provided with cylinder and dial needles in the form of a continuous tubular web sections of which are employed for the topsof halfhose, and the transfer machines to which this invention. relates, are adapted to,

feed the tubular ribbed material in the form of a continuous tubular web to a predeten mined position in which the stitches of the course to be transferred are brought into alinelnent with transfer levers and by the operation ofthe machine, the transfer levers are caused to pass through stitches of the course to be transferred, and to distendthe Web into position to bring all of the stitches of the course to be t 'ansferred into alineinent withthe quills of the transfer ring, (or the needles of, a circular knitting machine) and apply the same thereto, the section of the ribbed fabric sufficient for a single ribbed top being then cut from the strip of fabric, and the operation repeated. The ribbed fabric is preferably knit with a salvage Welt adjacent ,to one end of each section thereof and a loose or slack course of stitches adjacent to the other end to facilitate the transfer operation and in order to enable the transferring or topping machine to correctly position the ribbed fabric with respect to the transfer levers, the ribbed fabric is provided between the loose or slack course of stitches and the point adjacent thereto where the fabric is to be sevcred,1 with an extra positioning welt, as shown in United States Letters Patent to E; E. Kilbourn #953,669, dated March 29th, 1910, and in my former Patent #1,009, l50, dated November 21, 1911, the said extra Welt or positioning Welt being provided in the ribbed fabric for the express purpose of being engaged by the ends of the registering bits of the transferring machinewhich slide in the grooves between the Wales on the exterior of the ribbed fabric while said fabric is partially distended by a central mandrel, and said positioning welt and the adjacent portions ofthe fabric between the line of severance and the slack course of stitches or transfer course is unraveled after the ribbed top has been applied to the needles of the circular knitting machine, before knitting the stocking, as is fully set forth in the varlous patents before referred to. The transfer-ring or topping machine is provided With 1 a circular series of these registering bits surrounding the mandrel and inthe operation of the machine, the said bits are moved into engagement with the positioning welt and thereafter, more the ribbed fabric lengthwise of the mandrel so as to bring the adjacent transfer course or slack course into ahnenient wlth the points of the transfer levers and, hold the fabric in that position ,9

until the transfer levers have penetrated the stitches of the slack course or transfer course. a it I In the machine shown and described in the Patent $11,035,601, before referred to, the registering bits are pivotally mounted at their rear ends and are yieldingly held in engagement with the fabric andpressed into the grooves between the Wales thereof by auannular elastic "connection preferably 1 in the form of an endless spiral spring engaging grooves or recesses in the forward ends of the bits. It sonietimeshappens that these bits in passing over a thicker portion of the fabric or over a slight lump or protuberance therein are forced outwardly and these outward movements of the bits have a tendency to raise the extreme points of the bits out of the bottom of the grooves between adjacent wales and might in some instances force them out of the groove or out of proper engagement with the positioning welt. One of the objects of my present invention therefore, is to provide an improved form of registering bit in which the runner, or portion thereof which engages the groove in the fabric, is pivotally connected to the body of the bit and extends forward and rearwardly of the pivotal connection so that the runner portion of the bit is enabled to adjust itself to any variations in thickness of material or lumps in the fabric and if one end of the runner is raised in passing over such thickened portions, or over a welt, the other end will be more firmly pressed into the groove. I also preferably provide the central portion of the bottom face of the runner portion of the bit with a recess or cutaway portion beneath the pivotal connection to accommodate such thickened portion as the runner moves over the same and prevent the runner being raised bodily out of the groove by the passage of such welt, thickened portion, or lump beneath the pivotal connection of the runner with the bit body. It therefore follows that at all times at least one end of the runner must be firmly pressed into the corresponding groove of the fabric and in case a runner passes over a lump or thickened portion which tends to lift one end of the same, as it passesbeneath the recessed portion of the runner, the elevated end will be permitted to descend into the groove before the other end is elevated in passing over the lump or thickened portion.

In the operation of the machine shown and described in Patent #1,035,601, before referred to, the number of transfer levers is equal to one half the number of stitches in the transfer course or slack course to be transferred and in the machine shown in that patent, when the bits have positioned the transfer course, they lie over the alternate stitches of the course to be transferred, to wit, those at the bottom of the several grooves between the wales, which I term the dial stitches to distinguish them from the cylinder stitches of the fabric, which appear at the top of the wales and which are exposed between the several bits and are taken by the transfer levers. In the machine described in said patent, therefore, every alternate stitch is taken by the transfer levers and the intermediate stitches are held in position to properly engage the appropriate quills of the transfer ring by the tension of the stitches so engaged by the transfer levers.

In some instances, as for example, in the case of very coarse work, it is desirable in order to secure absolutely accurate transferring, to use a transfer lever for each and every stitch of the slack course or course to be transferred, and this presentsdifficulties, for the reason that alternate or dial stitches lie beneath the bits of the transferring ma chine and the bits must be maintained in contact with the positioning welt until after the engagement of the transfer levers with the stitches of the slack course in order to insure the proper operation of the transfer levers. In my improved bit which forms the subject matter of this invention, I obviate the difiiculty above noted and provide for the proper engagement of the additional transfer levers with the dial stitches below the bits by so constructing the runner portions of my improved bits that the alternate transfer levers may pass through recessed portions thereof and engage the stitches beneath the same, while the bits are pressed up against the extra welt to position the slack course of stitches. This result maybe accomplished in several ways and I prefer to employ with the body of each registering k bit, two runners arranged side by side and pivotally connected centrally with the body of the bit, leaving a sufiicient space between the runners for the passage of one of the transfer levers to enable it to engage the dial stitch beneath said duplex runner, or in some instances, I may formthe runner in one piece and provide it with a recess at one end on one side thereof for the purpose of accommodating the transfer lever and permit it to enter the dial stitch below the runner.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents portions of a transferring or topping. machine showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail perspective view showing a portion of the ribbed fabric greatly enlarged, a portion of the supporting mandrel of the topping machine, and one of my improved registering bits in position with respect to the extra welt or positioning welt of the fabric and the slack or loose course thereof. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one of my improved bits detached. Fig. 4 a similar view showing a slight modification. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of another modification of my improved bit, and Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the bit shown in Fig. 6.

In Fig. 1, I have shown so much of a topping machine or transferring machine as is necessary for an understanding of my present invention. In this figure,1 representsthe transfer ring which is detachably supported in the machine upon a suitable supporting frame 2; 3 is the supporting mandrel of the machine providedwith an annular series of supporting fingers 4, and circular brush portion 5, for supporting the ice spring 13 for pressing grooves between the walesof the fabric.

in the form of the invention 1, 2, and 3, lying at oppos te sides of the-bit lmdy 10, the forward ends of the runners low the point of pivoting l5.

. tubular fabric While permitting the engagement of the transfer levers and the severing of the fabric, and 6,6 represent two of the circular series of transfer levers, it being understood that they may be equal in 111111) her tothe total number. of stitches in the slack course ortransfer course, as herein -l represents the is pivotally connected at .11 to the bit sup porting fii'ameof the transfer machine, not hereinshovvn. The said body of the bit is provided adjacent to its outer end ivitli'a recess .12 to receive the yieldin 3band. or the bits into the I l, 14-. represent a pair of runners pivotally eonnccted to the. body of the hits 15, and shown in Figs.

being inclined upwardly and rearwardly as at 16, toprovide for the effective engagement of the runners at their forward bottom edges with the positioning Welt of said fabric, and, each of said runners being provided With a recess in its lower ed, ..;e as at 17, be" 520 represents the ribbed fabric provided With the wales 2], and alternate grooves 22; 23 representing the selvage Welt of one section of thefahrie; 23 i representing the slack course or transfer course of stitches, and dotted line representing the line of severance between tavo adjacent sections of the fabric or ribbed 536 represents the extra Welt or posi: Welt, which as Will he apparrait, is locatcifl between the slack course of stitches 52 iand the line filo--25 of severance, between the sections, and is engaged by the forward ends of the runners to move the fabric into such position that the transfer levers Will engage the stitches of the slack course or transfer course. it Will he noted that the stitches of the slack course at the bottom. of the grooves which are indicated .atild, will lie beneath the runner portion ofthe hit, bat in the form of runners shovvn in ll, 2, and 3, a space is provided between the runners i l-i l so that a transfer lever may pass between the some and engage the stitch il -l ntthe bottom of the groove. in some instances I may employ a single runner i l pivotally (.onnecled to the body 10, as indicated in bi l; to l inclusive and in such case, the forward end of the body 10 may be bifurcated, as shownat 10", to embrace the runner .i-l to which said bifurcated portions are piir'otally connected by the pivot pin 15 the said runner being providedwith a recess 1'? in its lower edge, see particularly Fig. 5. If is desired to use thisform of single runner, in a machine the rear end provided with, a transfer lever, for every stitch, theforward end portion of the ruin nor may be provided with a recess 9.? at one side thereof, as shown in. lfi 4-, to a BBL/117M110- date the transfer lever for the dial stitchbeneath the runner, or the said runimr may be provided with a recess 28, asshou'n in i 6 and 7, in the extreme end thereof, for same purpose. 1

In the forms of bit herein shownand dethe scribed, it Will be apparent that the pivoted runnei. is free to rise and fall at ach and independently, and thus accommodate: jihielf to variations in the thickness of the fabric or projertionsor protuberance, such as l-znots or lumps in the yarn which may occur in the grooves between adjacent Wales, as. tl erse the same. lit Will alsobe n {that if the from; end of a runner is raised to pass over Sllflli a lump or thickened portion, will be pressed even more firmly into the groove and the lamp or thicker portion passes nnder the recessed portions 17, beneath the pointof pivoting,

I 90 and be pressed firmly againstthe bottom of the groove before the rear end. can be raised the forward end of the runner will, descend from the bottom of the lump or projection, so that at all times one or both ends of the runner will be firmly pressed againsrst the bottom of the groove and the bits are there prevented from at any time becoming; Llltlfilh gagged from the grooves of the fabric or from being moved out of position to properly engage the positioning Welt 526 of the fabric.

It will be noted that the rearextremities of the runner are preferably curved opivardly and rearwardly, or beveled, to em able the runners to ride easily over the fabric when the fabric is drawn forward with respect to the bits, or the bits are moved rear *ardly With espect to the fabric. it Will also be understood that when the Wells of the fabric, either the selvago Welt or Welts, or the special positioning \velts, pass under the pivotally mounted hits, the rear end of each runner Will be first elevaiml, which will depress the forward endof the runner more firmly in the bottom of the groove, and as the Well; reaches the recess in the bottom of the runner beneath the pivotal connection thereof with the bit body, the rear end of the runner Will descei l into the groove of the fabric before the forward end is elevated, as the Welt passes beneath the same, so that one or both ends of the pivoted runner is or are at all time, firmly pressed into a groove of the fabric and the twisting of the fabric as it is fed through the machine is positively prevented.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a machine for running on seamless knitted Web, the combination with a sup porting mandrel, and a series of transfer levers, of a plurality of registering bits, said bits being provided with runners pivotally connected thereto, for engaging the grooves between adjacent wales of the knitted fabric, whereby said runners can adapt themselves to irregularities in the surface of the fabric traversed thereby.

2. In a machine for running on seamless knitted web, the combination with a supporting mandrel, and a series of transfer levers, of a plurality of registering bits, said bits being provided with longitudinally disposed runners pivotally connected between their forward and rear ends to the bits, whereby said runners engage the grooves between adjacent wales of the fabric and adjust themselves to irregularities in the surface traversed thereby.

3. In a machine for running on seamless knitted web, the combination with a supporting mandrel, and a series of transfer levers, of a plurality of registering bits, said bits being provided with runners pivotally connected thereto, said runners having their under surfaces recessed beneath the point of pivoting, whereby one or both end portions of the runners are at all times maintained in the grooves of the fabric.

4. In a machine for running on seamless knitted web, the combination With a supporting mandrel, and a series of transfer levers, of a plurality of registering bits, each of-said bits comprising a pivoted body portion having its outer end provided with a runner pivotally connected therewith, and having portions extending forward and rearward of the point of pivoting, each of said bits having its forward end provided with means for permitting the passage of a transfer lever to and through the stitch of the transfer course beneath the same.

5. In a machine for running on seamless knitted web, the combination with a supporting mandrel, and a series of transfer levers, of a plurality of registering bits, each of said bits being provided with a runner pivotally connected therewith, said runners being provided with recessed portions to permit the passage of a transfer lever there-' through to engage a stitch of the course to be transferred, lying at the bottom of a groove of the fabric beneath said runner.

6. In a machine for running on seamless knitted web, the combination with a supporting mandrel, and levers, of a plurality of registering bits, each of said bits being provided with a pair of runners pivotally connected thereto, and having their forward ends separated a suflicient distance to permit of the passage of a transfer lever between said runners to engage a stitch of the course to be transferred, lying below said runners. v

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses:

WILLIAM E. SMITH. WVitnesses:

Tnnononn GOUSE, HARoLD I-IOLMAN.

fbpies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

y .55 a series of transfer 

